OIL OUSTING GOAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 94, 20 April 1912, Page 3

OIL OUSTING GOAL.

GREAT DEVELOPMENTS IN AMERICA. (Sydney Morning Herald.) Honolulu, February 19. In spite of the fact that Tlawii is close to California, where all the cheap oil fuel for steaming purposes comes from, Newcastle coal is used almost exclusively by the extensive fleet ol steamers of the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co. So disappointed were the officials of the firm recently because they had to charter a Japanese vessel to bring Japanese coal here that they have resolved to purchase a large collier to bring coal from Newcastle (N.S.W.) at regular intervals. The steamer will be capable of carrying about 5000 or 6000 tons of coal, taking about 22 days to make the direct trip.

In the big coal strike at Newcastle a couple of years ago, Manila found herself cut off from supplies. It turned to Japan, and began to get all it wanted. There were no harassing strike clauses in the agreements. Manila soon found that, although the Japanese coal was not as good as that obtained from New South AA'hdos, still it was cheaper, it was nearer, and it was more dependable. Since then Manila has preferred to deal with Japan, chiefly because the labour troubles of Newcastle made uncertain the dates of deliveries. Fortunately the Honolulu Co. is so keen on getting Newcastle coal that it will persist. In spite of lack of tonnage, ilnd in spite of Japan being a thousand miles nearer to Honolulu, Newcastle gains the contracts. Now, lot the labour element bo sensible about this matter. If they have any patriotism about them at all, let thorn sink the major portion of their pride by seeing that New South Wales receives 'an excellent advertisement through her coal. Australia wants all the boosting she can got, for wherever one goes there is to be found a prejudice against her.

The strides that oil has made in this portion of the Pacific are remark-

able. The Sierra, well known on the Sydney-San Francisco run, develops a higher speed, with greater economy, as an oil-burner. All the local boats running to and from the mainland coast on the Pacific side are oil-burn-

ers, including the nine, ten, and eleven thousand ton freighters of the American-Hawniian S.S. Company, one of the biggest American steamship companies; and the six passenger and freight steamers of the Matson Navigation Company ; while three 14,000ton turbine steamers of the Toyo rvison Kaisha (Oriental S.S. Co.) are combined oil and coal burners-—oil on the outward trip from San Francisco, and Japanese coal on the outward trip from Japan. The Union S.S. Company of New Zealand announces that its next big steamer will be an oil-burner. Periodically big United States army transports land several thousands of tons of coal here for use by the department. Between coal from Japan and oil in bulk from California, it looks as though New South Wales coal will need all the help it can get to hold its own, Tor it must be remembered that the use of crude oil is not confined exclusively to the steamers. /

The engines that are used on the local railroad systems are oil-burners; the sugar plantations have many pieces of machinery that arc fitted with oil-burning plants; and many other industries have adopted oil as fuel. From a layman’s point of view it seems much easier to handle than coal. There is no thin layer of black dust on everything in the immediate vicinity when the oil is being discharged or pumped into the ships’ tanks; there are no grimy men toiling in the heat with heavy baskets on their shoulders. All this is done away with, and the oil is discharged or taken on with but one or two men to watch the operations. The whole system seems to bo simplicity itself. The ship Falls of Clyde arrived here on Saturday with 16,000 barrels of crude oil in hulk. As soon as the boat was tied up at the wharf, an engineer and a seaman fitted the necessary piping to the ship’s and the wharf connections. Pumping was begun, and beyond the man in charge ol the engine on board, no one was needed to look after the work. The oil went straight into the tanks half a mile away. The work was concluded, the connections unbolted and the ship was away on her return trip within •IS hours of her arrival. Steamers come and go with thirty and forty thousand barrels of oil in bulk. They all meet with great dispatch. Just contrast- this with the work necessary to unload coal. Oil ’in bulk, it is said, takes up three times less space than the same cjnanity of coal, that is to say, that tluec hundred tons of oil can be stowed in the space necessary for one hundred tons of coal. It is practically certain that even greater strides will be made in the use of oil as a fuel in future, for ! tbo companies are stretching out in every direction.